Sacred art from former church continues to nurture faith in other parishes

Stained-glass windows that were originally in the former Holy Cross Church in Indianapolis are seen in St. John Paul II Church in Sellersburg. (Submitted photo)

By Sean Gallagher

Linda Clodfelter loved being a member of the former Holy Cross Parish on Indianapolis’ near eastside.

And she sees the life of faith she experienced at Holy Cross continuing on when she has had the chance to worship in other communities across the archdiocese where pieces of sacred art that were part of her former faith community now adorn those churches.

That happened when she attended Mass at St. John Paul II Church in Sellersburg. The New Albany Deanery faith community’s current church building, dedicated in 2022, features stained-glass windows and Stations of the Cross that were previously at Holy Cross.

For Clodfelter, worshipping with members of St. John Paul II Parish wasn’t just a chance to view beautiful works of art from her former faith community’s church.

“It made you feel more a part of the community of Catholics,” said Clodfelter, now a member of St. Philip Neri Parish in Indianapolis. “There is unity when you go to a church that’s been a recipient of some of the artifacts … from Holy Cross.

“When we were in Sellersburg, sitting there, having the sun shine through stained-glass windows [from Holy Cross], it just made you say, ‘Praised be to God.’ ”

Clodfelter has also viewed Holy Cross’ former high altar, now at Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary Church in Indianapolis, and pews from her former parish’s church at Holy Angels Church, also in Indianapolis.

Other archdiocesan parishes that have received sacred art from Holy Cross include Good Shepherd Parish, St. Jude Parish, St. Luke the Evangelist Parish and St. Philip Neri Parish, all in Indianapolis.

“Once they find out that you’re from Holy Cross, there’s a great outpouring of love,” said Clodfelter of worshipping in churches that received items from Holy Cross. “It’s nice to see that other people appreciate what was there.”

Holy Cross Parish was merged into St. Philip Neri in 2014. For decades before the merger, Holy Cross Church had experienced a significant degree of physical deterioration. A year after the merger, in 2015, a stone archway over the front entrance to Holy Cross Church collapsed.

Because of this deterioration, Archbishop Charles C. Thompson issued a decree in 2019 that relegated Holy Cross, in the terminology of canon law, to “profane but not sordid use.” This meant that, while Holy Cross was no longer a place of worship, it could also not be used for a purpose inappropriate for a former church.

Soon thereafter, items from Holy Cross began to be distributed to other faith communities.

As pastor of St. John Paul II Parish, Father Thomas Clegg was glad on many levels to be able to incorporate stained-glass windows and Stations of the Cross from Holy Cross into his faith community’s new church.

He had been pastor of the former St. Catherine of Siena Parish and the former St. James the Greater Parish, both in Indianapolis. They were closed in 1993, and Good Shepherd Parish was then established to serve the needs of Catholics in its south side neighborhood.

“I would have loved it if any part of St. Catherine was able to be used by another church,” Father Clegg said. “That just wasn’t happening then. Now, a lot of times when priests are building, many of them are thinking what could be repurposed from churches that are shut down and no longer functioning.”

While he appreciates the good stewardship that using items from the former faith community on Indianapolis’ near east side in his current parish represents, Father Clegg’s connection to Holy Cross is more personal.

“My dad was baptized and received his first Communion in that church,” Father Clegg said.

He was also happy to help St. Philip Neri Parish, where he grew up and where he served as a youth minister and as a teacher in its school before discerning a call to the priesthood.

St. John Paul II making a significant donation to St. Philip Neri when it received items from Holy Cross, Father Clegg said, “was a way to help a center-city parish have a little more financial stability and, at the same time, help us.”

When Father Clegg leads worship at St. John Paul II, he sees how sacred art from the church where his father was baptized in 1931 continues to nurture the faith of Catholics nearly a century later.

“It speaks to the paschal mystery, the life, death and resurrection of Christ when we can utilize some of these beautiful art pieces in our church,” he said. “Hopefully it will give some light to the people of Holy Cross.”

Despite the current condition of Holy Cross making worship there not possible, Father Jeffrey Dufresne, pastor of St. Philip Neri Parish, sees “a definite silver lining” in sacred art from Holy Cross continuing to nurture the faith of Catholics across central and southern Indiana.

“We know that these beautiful pieces of sacred art and architecture were commissioned or, in some cases, crafted by the people of Holy Cross in order to show their love for the Lord,” he said. “And so, we want people to continue to benefit from that devotion that prompted the building of Holy Cross.

“What really brings me joy as a pastor is to see these pieces that were closed up in a vacant church for so long installed in parishes where people can experience the beauty and be drawn closer to the Lord by that beauty.” †